MEYERTON – Scores of Sicelo residents together with members and the leadership of the Transformative Youth Movement (TYM) marched to Midvaal Local Municipality headquarters to handover a memorandum of grievances recently. The march took place on Friday 27 February.
According to community leaders, the demonstration served as a way to reiterate problems faced by residents.
Some of the issues raised included electrification of two wards in Sicelo and the allocation of stands in Portion 77 Langkuil.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, TYM Leader Sam Mokoena said, “We are here to handover a memorandum of grievances. The provincial government has procured a portion of land where people can obtain stands and the Midvaal Local Municipality want to deviate from that and accommodate our people on a smaller land parcel. This is a problem because majority of our people will not be accommodated,” he said.
Mokoena added that other grievances they have are issues of electrification.
“We also want highlight our position to Midvaal, we would like them to electrify extension 4 and 5 because the DA-led wards are being electrified hence, we also demand electrification in those two wards,” he said.
Mokoena said they will give the municipality seven working days to attend to their grievances.
“We are going to intensify our efforts should they fail to come back to us and make it clear that the municipality undermines Africans,” he said.
Midvaal MMC of Development and Planning Mokete Motsamai said the Portion 77 Langkuil property is owned by the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements.
“The said land portion was acquired by the Department solely for human settlements purposes (including social facilities) and to address the housing shortage in Sicelo. To date, no formal application has been submitted to the Municipality on the said development. The consultant appointed by the GDHS is busy with the necessary studies and processes,” he said.
Speaking about subsidies and housing allocations, Motsamai told residents that this is Provincial competency.
Motsamai adds that the municipality is regularly communicating with the Department on the project as it will greatly assist in eradicating majority of the housing backlog in Sicelo and provide housing opportunities to residents in dire need”.
Motsamai said matters pertaining to the electrification of the Sicelo Extension 4 & 5 informal settlement has been referred to the relevant Department for a response.
